The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to dynamically managing firmware on information handling systems and their components based on relationships between the information handling systems and their components.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an information handling system (IHS). An IHS generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements may vary between different applications, IHSs may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in IHSs allow for IHSs to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, IHSs may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
IHSs are sometimes networked to provide networked systems that may be managed by an administrator. Management of a networked system may be accomplished using system management applications that allow the administrator to monitor the IHSs and their components in the networked system. However, with the numerous variants of components that may be interconnected in the networked system (e.g., port extenders, wireless access points, wireless devices, client devices, etc.), the management of firmware updates across the system components in the networked systems becomes challenging. For example, in the context of tens of thousands of networked devices coupled to an switch IHS, ensuring the compliancy of firmware images across all of the devices via conventional mechanisms utilizing manual updates is extremely time consuming and error prone.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved firmware management system for networked IHSs.